Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-11-28
THE NATIONS SCAPITAL.
The Interstate Commerce Com
mission
Continues Its Hearing on the Standard
Oil Cases.
The Postal Service~--Reed for Speaker
Notes.

WASHINGTON. Nov. 26.
J. ID. Rockefeller, chairman of the Stan
dard Oil Trust, was examined before the
interstate commerce commission this morn
/ ing in connection with the Standard Oil
cases. Counsel for complainauts asked wit
ness to produce a paper which he mad in
hand giving list of the various companies
held in trust. Immediately counsel for the
! Standard Oil Trust, and for several of the
defendant railroads interposed objections
ON various grounds. The commission over
ruled the objections, and the witness stated
in reply TO a series of inquiries that the
stock of the Standard Oil Company Of Ohio
the Standard Oil Company of Kentucky. the
/ Camden Consolidated oil Company of Par
kersburg, West Virginia, the Waters Pierce
/ Oil Company of st. Louis, and the Consoli-
dated Tank Line Company of Cincinnati
were held by the Standard Trust Several
/ other companies were mentioned by counsel
/ for complainant, but were objected 10 and
xcluded, on the ground that these compan-
les had not been brought into the case in
previously given evidence. Witness said in
substance that the stock of these companies
wa, received from the owners, and the Ger
! tihcates of the trust issued in exchange that
the several companies were not divided
among stockholders, but were paid into the
trust and then divided among the holders of
trust certificates also that the aggrc gate of
outstanding ceattcates was about $50, 900
900. Witness stated that between - and So
per cent. of the oil refining business of this
country was done by his company, but he
subsequently, changed this to 80 per cent
The trust certificates were held in all parts
of the country. In reply to "A query as to
whether the trust operations did not cover
the country from the Atlantic to the Pacific
and from the gulf to the Arctic, witness re-
piled after few moments delay, Not vet.
On cross examination witness said that the
trust had nothing whatever to do with the
making of rates. all that being done BY the
subordinate companies.
Mr.. George Rice the complainant, sub
mitted number of papers hearing upon all
the economic features of the oil business.
and produced mass of correspondence
which was submitted in evidence so far as it
might prove competent. He was examined
and examined at considerable length, 4
but beyond the statement that his profits
were about II cents Il barrel on oil. delivered
at his works in Ohio, and the statement in
cOntradi ctOn To that of most of the railroad
men, that the consigner and consignee us
ualy load and unload barrclled oil at their
own expense. his testimony up TO the recess (
covered familiar ground.
Miss Blanche Rice complainants clerk and +
daughter, was sworn aud briefly examined
This closed the evidence for the complai-
nant, except in respect to Mr. Virgil Powers,
chairman of the southern Railway and
Steamship Association, who is expected here +
Monday.
The defendant companies called Mr. ]
4
eral manager of the Louisville New Orleans
4 Texas railroad, and recalled A. Clay
Pierce of the Walter Pierce oil Company of
st. Louis. These were examined exhaust
lively, but their evidence in the main was an
elaboration of features already brought out
in cross-cxaminaton.
Counsel for both sides stated the probabil-
ity that the evidence would be closed on
Monday. Counsel for the complainant
wished to have the oral arguments begin at
once. Counsel for defendants moved for de-
lay to give an opportunity to print and exam
inc the record. The chairman announced
the decision of the commission to grant a
delay, and said he would announce its length !,
on Monday. Among the reasons which he .
gave was that, if any of the defendant com
panies had been convinced during the hear
ing that their rates needed any revision the
out. of course, expressing any opinion upon
the merits of the case. he would submit this
suggestion.
The report of the third assistant postmast-
er general for the past fiscal year gives the
following information: The total ordinary
postal receipts for the year amounted to
SIS, the revenue from the money
order business was S1l9 9,335.45, making a
total revenue of SIS. .s37 .GO9.39. The total
expenditures for the year, including actual
and estimated outstanding liabilities. amount
edit Sj3. 1873 ,252, showing a deficit in the
revenue of 81 .2s5. .642.6l, In addition to
this there was certified to the secretary of
the treasury. for credit to the Pacific railroad
companies in their accounts with the govern
ment, being the amount earned by them in
carrying the mails. 81 Isl, ,027.}3. so that the
total excess of the cost of the postal service
over its revenue was -. 4S2 ,6699i
The receipts of the year were Ill per
cent greater than those of the previous year,
and the increase of.expenditures was a ratio
of but 3.4 per cent. If these ratios should
continue during the present year. at its close
the postal service will be practically again on
self-sustaning basis SO heavy an increase
in revenue, however, is not to be reasonably
expected though the increase in expendi-
lures will no doubt be kept down to the low
ratio of the past year The estimate is that
the receipts will increase at ratio of 9 per
cent during the current year. and at a
ratio of per cent during the next, so that
bv the end of the latter the departments rev
enues and expenditures will not be far apart.
The expenditures over appropriations com
ing under the control of the third assistant
postmaster-geueral amount to Sl,o16. 10000
which was sj.7l9.lO less than the expendi-
ture for the previous year
The annual report of the assistant attorney
general for the post Office department upon
claims of postmasters for losses by fire. bur
glsry OF other unavoidable casualty. and for
money orders stolen in transit. shows that
90 claims have been investigated during the
year, of which Al were allowed in whole or
in part. and 1876 totally disallowed. The
claims allowed aggregate $40, 600. The
amount disallowed is 81 .203. one hundred
and three cases were of burglary in which
post office safes were drilled or blown open.
Attention is called to the fact that while the
general law does not allow credit for postal
funds lost by such casualties Congress at
its last session passed number of special
acts giving individual postmasters credit for
such funds while the department has been
compelled to disalIow a large number of
similar claims equally meritorious.
The contest for the seat of Senator Riddle
berger of Virginia, is already actively begun,
the two candidates being Fitzhugh Lee. the
present Governor. and John ;. Barbour.
member of congress from the Alexandria
Mr. Barbour holds the democratic organiza-
tons solid, while Lee has the sentiments of
the masses, being the nephew Of the great
Confederate commander and a generally pop
ular man. But the organization usually
i wins, and so Barbour is the man likely to
occupy Riddleberger's seat after the latter's
time expires one year from next March.
/ The republican members of the House will
/ hold a caucus next Saturday afternoon. 1t
is highly probable that Hon, Thomas B.
Reed. of Maine. will receive the nomination
for speaker, as he did two years ago.
I c. Z. Foster, Dominion minister of marine
and fisheries, started from Ottawa for Wash
ington today. If the work of the commission
is sufficiently advanced he will present the
historical side of the fisheries question from
the Canadian standpoint.